Last month I competed at the Arnold Sports Festival.
In equipped bench press competitions, you have three lift attempts, which you select based on your training and ability.
I opened with a solid 110kg, then successfully completed my second attempt at 120kg. Time for the third.
The weight on the bar was now 130kg.
In the weeks leading up to the competition, I had attempted 130kg several times.
The success rate?
20%.
Even the times I did it, the lift looked sketchy.
But in the competition, it was different.
My friends and family were in the audience. The crowd cheered and the commentator called me on stage. The platform crew member lifted the bar into my hands, and I lifted 130kg like there was more in the tank.
The difference?
In the gym I was thinking too much.
On the stage I didn’t think at all.
Once an athlete has learned a skill, they need to trust they can execute without thinking how to do it or being concerned about the result.
They need to leave the heavy lifting to their subconscious mind, and trust that it will deliver.
It’s no different in business. Presenting on stage, hosting a webinar, leading a team, chatting with prospects.
We overthink, we lose. We trust our subconscious, execute the move like deep down we know we can:
We nail it every time.
